Retirement

[AngelaBB]

I took slightly early retirement last summer, due to poor health, and I hate it. I'm used to being mad busy and now I am so unmotivated, it's unreal. I cannot get going at all and I'm feeling so miserable. Friends suggest clubs and hobbies but nothing appeals. Other half still working, kids left home, what am I supposed to do?

I'm loving my retirement because I'm so busy doing things I like doing. What sorts of things do you enjoy?

Is your health too poor to work at all? Perhaps a PT role would be the right balance between “mad busy” and bored to tears?

What sort of things interest you, OP?

What sort of job did you do and did you enjoy it?

My friend who found retirement boring is now working for a supermarket. He says you meet all sorts of people and never "bring your work home with you" as he used to do in his old job.

Snap! A retired friend of mine works PT at a garden centre tending plants. She is an avid gardener and jokes it’s like being paid to go to gardening club and she loves the employee discounts in the centre & cafe!

Try to come up with a routine, which you don't have to stick to but which you can do when nothing else better to do.

If weather is nice, I walk to the leisure centre, sit in the sauna, walk to the shopping centre and get lunch, then walk home. That may take 4-5 hours in total so it fills a large part of my day.

You must have got some hobbies or interest. What did you used to enjoy doing at weekends before you retired? As a previous poster suggested you could try working part time. I go on holiday several times a year. I've bought a membership ticket to go to see county cricket. I go to lunch out twice a week. As the weather is now improving I'm looking forward to doing my garden. I read, do crosswords and Suduko. I watch sets on Netflix. I'm tracing my family tree on Find my Past. I've done a course and qualified as a cricket scorer for my son's cricket team. I go for walks with my dogs. I cook from scratch most days now including making butter and homemade soups. I bake. I've learned to crochet and do this over the cold winter months. I visit my DD and DGS's every 6 weeks. I hunt around for more thoughtful birthday gifts now I have more time, so no more vouchers. I go swimming when it's not busy and overrun with DC. I sit in the garden. I play with my cats more.

Surely you have interests and hobbies though? This is why people need more in their life than just work & children. I have lots of interests including sport & exercise, hiking, travel & volunteering, so I know when I’m retired I won’t be bored.

Well you know you don't want to continue as you are so that's great that you have identified a need to make a change. Step one done!

You've got two choices now really: return to work (in some capacity) or find more stuff to do.

Which do you lean more towards at the moment?